Even if you aren’t stuck for an hour, the time you spend idling ads up. Five minutes at a stoplight here, ten minutes of traffic there, three minutes of sitting in a drive-thru.

Before you know it, you’ve idled away an entire gallon of gas in a week.

To avoid this, turn your car off when you expect to sit longer than a minute.

Take Advantage of Loyalty Points

There are hundreds of gas station chains out there, all fighting to get an advantage over one another.

One of the ways gas stations try to make sure they stay competitive is by offering reward systems to recurring customers. Frequent customers collect points at fuel-ups that they can cash in for savings at a certain point.

Some of these loyalty programs even give members a discount on gas.

Clubs like Costo or Sam’s Club often have deals on gasoline for members. These clubs have an annual membership, but the savings on gas will make up for it.

Time Your Trips To The Gas Station

We all know that gas prices fluctuate constantly. But did you know that there’s a pattern to these fluctuations?

It’s a simple example of supply and demand. More people drive on the weekend, which raises the demand—and price—for gasoline. This increase usually happens on Thursday as gas stations anticipate a rise in weekend drivers.

However, after the weekend, prices go back down.

A recent study from USA Today and the app GasBuddy found that gas is cheapest on Monday mornings.

Keep Your Car Maintained

You might have realized after buying your car that the actual fuel efficiency you receive is a little less than advertised.

These advertised numbers are generally only applicable under ideal conditions. And unfortunately, those conditions don’t typically occur in the real world with much frequency.

However, by properly maintaining your car, you can help your engine run more efficiently.

Keep your tires inflated at the recommended PSI. Flat tires don’t just run the risk of going flat—they can cause your car to waste fuel.

Make sure to keep up with regular oil changes as well. Dirty oil can cause resistance in your engine, making it harder for the pistons to move. This, in turn, requires more gasoline to perform the same function.

Your air filter can also negatively affect performance. A clean air filter can increase your average miles per gallon by 10%, saving around $0.15 per gallon at the pump.

Click the link to learn more about how proper car maintenance can improve fuel economy.

Watch the Weight

If you’re the type that keeps everything you own in your car, you could be wasting a lot of fuel.

A car’s fuel efficiency decreases one to two percent for every 100 lbs. This might not seem like a lot if you’re just carrying around a few changes of clothes and some books, but that decrease adds up over time.

Take everything you don’t need out of your car. Don’t let things “live” in your car. Not only will it save on fuel economy, but it will also keep your car cleaner!

Ditch The Keys For Short Trips

When a car first starts up, it doesn’t run at peak efficiency until it reaches a certain temperature. Until then, the oil doesn’t lubricate as well, the pistons don’t move as fluidly, and fuel economy is lessened.

On short trips, your car might not even have a chance to get up to optimal operations before you reach your destination.

Instead, keep the car parked and take a different mode of transportation. Walking or riding a bike isn’t just good for saving gas money—it’s good exercise too.

Ready to Save On Gas?

Everyone wants to save on gas. But changing your driving habits so you can spend less at the pump takes patience.

So put these tips into practice, and get ready to watch your gas budget plummet!